Continuously-operating retort-furnace.



PATENTBD JULY l0, 190` Y R. o. HILLS; CGNTINUGSSLY OPBRA'HNG RBToRT PURNACE.

AFPLIUAI'IOH FILED JULY 3.

G SHEETS-SHEBT .111 yven-hva @lui bue/ess l,

PATENTED JULY l0, 1906.

R. C. HILLS.

CONTINUOUSLY PERATING RETORT PURNAGE.

PPLIGATIO!! P11421) JULY 3. 1905 6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No, 82536. PATENTE!) JULY 10, 1906.

R. C. HILLS.

CONTIMESUSLY SPERTING RETORT PURNAGE.

PATENTED JULY l0, 1906.

R. C. HILLS.

CUNTINUOUSLY OPERATNG RETURT YURNACE.

APPLIGTIN PILES JULY 3. i996.

SREETS--SBEBT iv PATENTED JULY 10, i,

R. C. HLLS. GONTINUOUSLY OPERATING RBTOBT PURNACE.

G SHEETSv -SHEHT 5 No. 825.536. ATENTED JULY l0. NOG. R. C. HILLS CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING RETORT FURNACI MPMUAHON FILED JULY 3, ums

Y Drs MFE? l,

Bionaire c. niLLs, or pasivas, -conoaaoo.

Speccation of Letters 'atent.

RETOHYF-FURNACE.

Patented July 10, 190B.

Application. Mod July Si 1906. 8er-lul Nc. 268.368,

To will whom it may concern,.-`

Be it known that-I, RICHARD C. HILLS, a

f sub'ectof the King of- Great Britain(i residing i in t e city and county of Denver an State of Colorado, have invented certain new and use- 'ful Improvements in Continuously-Operating Beton-Furnaces; and I do declare the following to be a fiiil, crear, and exact ydescription of the invention, such as will enable others lo skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part oftliis s ecication.

My invention re stes to retortfurnaees more especially adapted for the treatment of coal for the purpose of removin itsvolatie roducts, preparatory to the orination of iiriquets from the Yretorted coal by mixing 2o therewith the condensed volatile products.inVV

the forni of tar and pitch. Y i Y My present invention oni has to do with the retortingrof the coa an the rernorai oi the volatile products thererom. The ineens Y z 5 for carrying out the subsequent steps resuiting in the final formation of bri nets in a press or briquet-machine is or Wil be cov'i ered b f other applications. i

I wi l first give s, brief description of the in- 3o vent-ion without mentioning reference characters and subse uently describe the com struction in detail b y characters for the case.

3 5 My improved construction, generally speaking, consists of a furnace having two banks or Y series of vertically-dis osedretorts arranged on opposite` sides of t e central part of the furnace. These retorts are relativeiynariierent iigurrs inV the 1o-row parallel chambers, and the necessary heat is supplied through the instrumentality of combustion-'fined which are arranged in ver- Y tical series intermediate the retorts. Each of these combustion-lines asses between two retorts on botli sides offft e furnace, passes around one of these restons, andretnrns'on the opposite side of the seme as far asthe een trai part ofthe urnaeer where it joins a Verti-lY cally-.disposed ilus leading downwardly'to a 5o ,recuperator or regenerating-chamber, finally .passing to a. mam ueat the lbottom and ',.thenceto the stack, through the instrumentality of e. blower or exhaust fan, f. whereb Vsuilii'zieiit draft is maintained vto is cause t e products Yofcombustion to take thex the use of reference' (not shown )V course indicated. EachV vertically-disposed flue for carrying the products of combustion dovmwardiy to the regenerating-chamber receives thesepioducts from two series of com-.

ne series of combustionof the furnaces,

bustion-iiues. fines commences on one side passes the entire fenth of both banks of retorts, returns half t e width of the furnace on the op insite side of tfne retort, and terminates at t ie vertically-disped or downcast flue iesding to the V'regenstating-chainber whileranother series of nace, passing between two retorts of the two banks, Yaground one retort, and baci; to the saineeiticaily disposed or downcast flue. By "rirtuiY of this construction the said downcast or vertical fine leading to the regeneratingfohsrnber common to two series of coni Yhustion-iiues each series extending the entire engtii of both banks of -retorts around the end of one of the retorts and back tothe eenter, where the downcast fine is located.

e The regenerating-.chamber contains fines through which is passed air to be heated to supply the combustion-Rues, the said air being carried upwardly and deivered to the ues may bexsaid to commence on the. opposite side of theA fur- Y said chambers, whereby it is caused to miii- Y gie withthe gas from the burners, thus suppiyin the neces-snij? oxygen for approximate yperfcct combustion.

.Mounted above the retorts of the furnace is s binj connected with which are dependin feed -pipes or conduitsi which giass throu i openings in what will terni the roof of t e furnace, whereby each retort is continuaily supplied with coal. The bottom of each retort is provided with a number of dischargeope'nings, beiow which are located pocket- Wheels mounted upon a continuously-rotating Shaft, each wheel having a pocket to re- -ceive the retorted coal, and by virtue of the rotation of the wheel a quantity'of coal is in termittently dischargedfrom each dischar eopening of the retort. The pockets oi dighe various wheels are preferably out of line, whereby they do not simultaneously but sine-A cessiveiy discharge the coal rori the retorts.V

This Vdischarge from each retort passes down- .wardiy to asteeply-iiiciined hearth, the disesrge'roin which passes to screw conveyors throu h the instrumentality'o which the retorte V'product may be carried to any desired locationi Qomrnunicating with each retort is a oon- IUS burners. This section is tak duit, leading u wardly, for carrying off the volatile by-pro ucts of the coal, which are delivered to n n1ixing-scrubber,whieh, as herctofore indicated, forms subject-metter for e seperate application.

The invention will now' be described in deteil, reference bein 1 mede to the accompany` ing drawings, in whichA Fi ure 1 is a vertical section taken through the urnace lengthwise of the retorts. This section is taken in two planes, the portion of the view et the left being taken throu h a retort, while that at the right is taken t ough the shorter portion of a. series of combustionlines between the retorts. F' 2 is a horizontal section taken through t e furnace on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 ls a. horizontal section taken through the furnace in four different planes, the sectionized parte of the View in the various planes being designated as B,`

C, D, and E, und the sections being teken on lines B B, C C, D D, and E E, respectively,of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 `is a fragmentar side elevation of the furnace, the term side referring to the right and left portions of the furnace es disclosed in Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and. 6 are vertical sections-taken on the lines 5 5 and 6 6, respectively, of Fig. 1. 7 and 8 are rsg mentsry vertical sections taken through the sides of the furnace in two different plenos, Fig. 7 being in the piane of the main burners, and Fi 8 in the plane of the supplemental or aux: 'ary burners, the parts being shown on s larger scale. 9 is a horizontalsection taken through the furnace in the plane of the burners and a horizontal series of combustiori-ues. Fig. 10 is s fragmentary front elevation, parti in section, showing the openings in Whic the burners are located, as well es the peep and observation holes. Fig. 10^ is airegmentary View similar to F' 10, except that it is in elevation proper. .F ig. 11 is a horizontal section taken through the side wall of the furnace, cutting the vertical flues through which the hot air is su plied to the en ietween two horizontal of combustion-fines, but of course cuts a series of vertieallydisposed parallel retorts. 12 is a fragmentary' vertical section taken thro h the roof of the furnace in the plane of ntie supply-pi This section is virtually the same ss t at shown et the left of Fig. 1, being the portion thereof shove the retort, the parts being shown on a larger scale. Fig. I3 is a fragmentsry section taken at right angles to 12Y and cutting the opening through which s. feed-pi passes. F 14 is en underneath view oiwthe roo-bris, having an opening with which the feed-pipe communicstes.- Fig. 15 is a fregmenterjysection taken through a, discharge-opening of a retort and cutting a pocket-Wheel mounted on s shaft below the retort. Fig. 16 is a fragmentary fel tion et right angles to F 15, s pocket-wheel and l normally stopped by y designates bric which are ormed the feed-openings K, which its shaft being shown in elevation. Fig. 17 is a. detail view of the feed-pipe construction, illustrated partly in section.-

The seme reference characters indicate the saine arts in all the views.

Re erring now to the drawings, let A designate the retort-chambers, through which when in operation the coal is continuously passln V B esignates the combustion-fines, errsnged one above another and so disposed horizontally that each one passes from one side of the henk or series of retorts to the other side, passing between. two retolts of each benk, the retorts of the posite bank being arranged end to end. T ese combustion-fines pass around one end of oneretort and return on the opposite side of the retort to the downcsst or vertically-disposed flue B2, formed in the central wall F i and leading to the recuperator or regenerating-chamber C, in which the air-fiues C2 are heated by the roductsof combustion, the latter easing iinnlly down through the small flues to the mein flue F below and thence to the stack through the instrumentality of an exhaustfsn. (Not shown.)

D, D7 D, D, end D5 are ducts for the distribution of hot air through the ports D into the combustion-fines B.

G designates cold-air ues regulated by ports Gf' and connected with the recuperetor or regenerating-fines b the openings G", which alternate 'regular y from side to side, one flue taking sir on one side and the next fine on the opposite side.

G designates spaces situated immediately under the retorts and separated from one snother by partitions H3. Below each of these spaces G and forming the bottom thereof is s steepl inclined hearth H4, over which the materia discharged from the retort slides to a screw conveyor V. These heerths are inclined downwardl r in opposite directions on both sides of the unisce. They commence at the center and pass downwardly end outwardly to the screw convcyers, one ofthe latter being located on each side of the Kuma-ee.

H designates the front well of the furnace, which has a neri-owY vertical expansion-space Hf', filled with loose sund, and in which are formed openings R, R3, R", R4, and K. The openings R2 are lined with castings R5 and sceommodete the main burners Q, which enter the combustion-fines through the holes R3.

foo

The supplemental burners Q enter the c0m bastion-fines through the holes R. The openings R, I 'term peep-holes, While K designates observation-ports communicating with the retorts. Through theseopenin s the materiel within the retorts may be oserved. The openingsl RSand K* erer both ugs s of special form in receive the flanged portions of the feed-pipes K. On the under side of the bricks H' there are downward prejections intended to insure a free passage at H of gases and vapors above the charge.

H2 designates special floor-bricks for the discharge-openings il, while Il designates supporting-pidan, which also serve as partitions located between the separating er slopv ing heaiths Il and the s )aces G, through which the retorted materia passes after leavfin the retoits. f Y

designates e tamping of loam plaeedbetween the upper and lower la ers of roofbricks and intended to render t e reci prectically gastight.

Distributing-pipes K1 lead frein the bin T to the. feed-pipes K, the latter being provided with hopper-sha ed tops K7 to permit of the insertion of a ror in case the feed in K should clog up.

K3 designates barrin down o enings, which are normally closed b plugs K5 designates a gas-disc argc openinV inV which is inserted a cast-iron ipe O", Whie in turn receives the lower end olfj a p' e L' is the pocket-wheel attadlied te the shaft M. There is a series of these wheels, all mounted on the saine shaft and each having a ocket L, which at each revolution of the vf `eel discharges a given uantity of the retorted product. The shaft ii is 'enrnaled in supports M' and standards N 2. his shaft is driven by a. spur-wheel M2, which is actu- .ated by a Worm M", attached to a shaft M3,

journaled in su ports M and connected with suitable Power .y a sprocket-wheel W.

L2 designates a safety-gate adjacent the discharge-opening L5. This gate is kept closed until some ebstriiction-a Wrench, for in- Stance--gets into the pocket of the Wheel L', in which event the gate is forced en to prevent injury to the structure and c oses again automatically by gravity when the obstruction is removed.

L3 designates an iron castin under the disshawn-opening li and to whic the gate L is attac ied.

M5 designates latforms located on opposite sides nf the urnaoe, each having a railY N3 and being sup orted b a rle-irons N which are seeuredpby boltiifornign any othei' suitable manner to the partitions H3.

N designates an iron late secured to the anglegirons N and exten ,ing along the entire length of a bank of retorts to forni e base of attachment for the standards N and the journal-supports M.

N* designates a foot-plate for convenience in making observations through the upper observatienv-ports, 1

P designates a mixingscriibber described in a simultaneously pending ap lication. This scrubber containsa screw an receives the gas and terry matter from the retorts through pipes O and O', the tar being there incorporated with the crushed coal and coke in carrying ont the recess described in United States Letters atent No. 678,296.

Q designates a gas-main extending across one end and alongr both sides of a bank of retorts. lt is connected at intervals h nipples with a distributing-main Q, which su i- ?orts the upright gas-pipes Q2, te which t ie nirncrs Q3 an Q* are attached. The object cf the distributinganain is to avoid the use of teo niaiiyisrge T's on the main beicw it.

n E designates gas-cocks on the upright aspipes, while R designates ping-cocks or eenvenience of clearing out the burners when clogged with gas-carbon. l

T designates Ythe overhead storage-bin, which is supplied with line coal by a conveyer. (Not shown.) This bin issi ported by a framework of structural steel '11; and is connected with distributing-piges K2 by the gate T, actuated by the lever i.

U represents buck-staves supporting the walls by means of ti ht rods U', which pass through holes U in t ie masonry.

W designates a water-sprayer for cooling the retort conveyers f.

When in operation, the requisite heat is maintained by the .combustion in the fines B of scrubbed gas (itself a roduct of the retorts) mixed with het air rom the recuperator or regeneratin -chainbers Ain which the ilues C* areiocate as heretofore described. These ihies are continuously heated by the products of combustion passing down through the fines B? into the chamber C and thence down around the fines C2 into the main flueF and thence through the small fines F", the requisite draft being maintained by an exhaustfan, (not shown,) as heretofore explained. The coal being fed into the retorts A throu h the feed-pipes K', the same subjected to distillation as it passes eontinelly vthrou h the retorts and by the time it reaches t e discharge-opening L is practically deprived of all its originai volatile ecnstitnents. In this condition it Vis discharged by, the revolution of the packet- Wheel L', of which there are four for each retcrt. All the Wheels are fastened to the same shaft M and driven by the Worm-gear M2 and M". nThe pocketsrL yreierably, do

irductV passing through the sorcvir TOO IIC

net discharge'simultaneousiy, but in vrotatien and sneeessonhso as iso-maintain, asO nearly as practicable, an even stream of materiel passing down an inclined hearth H4 to the screw conveyer V.` The volatile lproducts as distilled ass over to the mixin scrubber P thrceg i the pipes 0 and O. Suc

rodiicts as are not'rlcaii ht by the sci-'ubher P are carried en to oter scrubbers, (not shown,) where they are interne ted. 'If by observations conducted 'throng the ports K* any of the retorts appear to be clogged,`

, wai 2 recourse is had -to barring down through the openings K inthe roof. This operation goes on continually until for some cause, suchfas repairs or shortage of material, it becomes necessary t close down.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A retmt-fiirnace provided with two banks or series of horizontally-disposed re torts located on opposite sides of the central Sart of the furnace in Which-arer located ownwardly-extending exhaust-fines communicating with the stack and combu stionllues inte osed between the retorts and extending t le entire len th of both banks of retorts on one side o the latter, passn around the end of one retort on one side o l thefurnace andfertendin iri the reverse direction on, theiopposite si e of one retort andf "eirtendingexhaust-fiues. retort-furnace provided with double banks or series `of horizontally-disposed retorts located on opposite sides of the furnace, the furnace being` centrallv provided with dovvnwaygll:gif-e,Xter'ilfiir:g ex must-lines, and combustion-luesinteqlpsed between the re torts and extending the entire length of both banks of retorts on one side of the latter, passing around the end of one retort and re turnin in the reversedirection on the oppo site si e ofone of the retorts, and ternnnat ing at the downwardlyfextending exhaustlues, the two adjacent vertically-disposed series of combustion-fines, commencing on opposite sides of the furnae and com1nunieating with a common downwardlyextend ing exhaust-fine.

3. A retort-furnace rovided with double banks or series of horizontally-disposed retorts, the individual retorts of each bank bein@r parallel, and the retorts of the two banks being arranged end to end, the furnace being provided with downwardly-extending oentrallydocated exhaust-fines, and combustion- 4haag?, ocmnmunlcatingwith the said downlues interposed between the retorts and extending-the entire length of both banks of retorts on one side of the latter, passing around the cnd of one retort on one side of the furnace and extending in the reverse direction on the opposite side of one of the retorts, and. communicatin finally with the said downwardly-extendl gcentrally-locatcd exhaustilues, a reUenerating-chamber with which the exhaustues communicate, the regeneratingchamber being provided with fines communieating with the combusticri-iii1es and through which the necessary air for combustion purposes is passed.

4. A retort-furnace provided with double banks of horizontally-disposcd parallel retorts arranged end to end on opposite sides of the furnace', horizontally-disposed combustionflues arranged in vertical series between the retorts, one series of two adjacent series of flues commencingonone sideof the furnace, passim the entire length of the retorts, around the en of one retort, and returning to the centra] art of the furnace on the opposite side of t e last-named retort; while the other series of combustion-hues commences on the opposite side of the furnace, takes a similar course but in an opposite direction finally leading to the central part of the furnace which is provided with a downwardly-extendin Aexhaust-flue withwhich both series of com ustion-flues communicate, the longer ortions of each series of combustion-flussi ing provided with main burners on one side of the furnace and their shorter portions with supplemental burners on the opposite side of the furnace. i

5. In a furnace of the class described, the combination of horizontally-disposed re torts arranged in.` parallel seriesend fo end on oposite sides of the central par? of the furnace `in which are located downwardl'l-extending exhaust-lines communicating Wi the stack, a series of horizontally-dis osed combustionfiues extending the entire ength of two endto-end r'etorts, around the end of one retort and returningto one of the series of down- WardlfV-extending centrally-located filles, on the o@ site -side of the last-narned retort, While thi; adjacent series of combustion-fines on one side takes a similar course but inthe oppositedirectioe, fin, leading tothe next flue of the downward y-extending series, means for automatically removin the retorted material from the bottom of t eretort, and means for feeging said material into the top of the retorts y gravity alone, as fast as it 1s removed from below.

6. ln a furnace of the class described, the combination of relatively narrow, l1orizontally-disposed retorts arranged in parallel series in double banks end to end on opposite sides of the central part of the furnace in which are located downwardliv-extending Huss communicating with the stack, horizon- IOO tally-disposed colnlmstion-fl-ues extending the entire length of two oudste-end retot'ts one in each of the opp'hsite banks and re` turning on the opposite side to one of the said downwardly-extending tlues, means for producimr an automatic, continuous unobstructed r ischarge of retorted material at the bottom of the retorts, means for allowing the raw material to feed into the top of the retorts by gravity alone as fast -as it is removed from below, and coinpartmcntsfonreceiving the material discharged from said retorts, said compartments having downwardly-inclincd bottoms suliciently steep to cause the retorted material of its own gravity to be discharged on the outside of the furnace.

7. ln a furnace of the class described, the combination of double banks of horizontally disposed retorts arranged imparallel ser'res on opposite sides of the furnace, the reto ts on its opposite sides nf thv furnace living :irramgd l mtu gmnpziitnwww ifmiiv-si hviww the To spmtivi: i -turfls mi tinippemil'cr. Siting ii' the m'iimzv, Minh wmpm'ilncni.- inning u imtom iiiciimei dmx'iuwiiaiiy and uutfwafeiiy 5mm Lim uiiii'u par? uf 1F10 i'ili'lmcv whvmby tile rvwlivoi iimviiui is discharged :1L the opposite siiiins flirrmif, mul Coiixrfcynrs limited ai. the mppnsiief idas mi {in} Yin-nam for iei-'iiig the rvtmtm umts-vizi?, substantially iis (ie- 8. in :i mfmoe ni tiiehiss described, the comiiilztimi ul lmrim)iltally-disposed rctoxts iu'mngml in 4parallel vries iii dmible bal'iks 11i-imaged mici in @mi un opposite sides 0f tile furneiw, means fur nutoumtiifuiiy [iiciarging the ruturtml ziiiitm'iai from the. bottom of the retort-s. .su-iid mums comprising Pocket-Wheels and hing-mi reiki-gaies operating conjintly below the disGhai'g-openings of dm retorts,

:uid means iut* ziilo'wing the mw maimiai tu (mier the 1.o i D? the Iotm'ts by fmviy :ilona :is fusi; a5 ii rutui'bcd nmtol'i ia remvved from ieiow.

' 9. In a furnace of thu alms fifzscr'i'ibef. the

:ursmgef in pamicl series in duuii banks arranged @mi to @mi 011 uppuitnii sides of the fumaba, imam for femm-ing tim reiiited ii'laieii-.i from the bottom of' the. rutorts i11- {ziiifiiig ivvei]ubiyfiiimiliei ymckuvwlmels and hinged relief-gauw, :xmms for ziliuwing the mw material to univer the up of the retorts by gravity alim@ as fast :is it ifs. rmnuvmi fram the beittom, the ruufs ci' the murts 11:1 ving feed-npmiings and imri'ing-d own m' working ports situatcd inlzenfi iu c Lim fwd-opvuings, and gaisfescapf pipes connected with the tutoras for the Purim-SQ set forth.

1n tnsf-inmny whereof 1 alix my signatur iu prestan-.e of two witxwssox.

RCHARD C, HILLS.

Witnesses DENA NELSON, A. J. OBRHQN. 

